


Final Exam

by LukaStarkiller



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Kobayashi Maru, My First Fanfic, Starfleet Academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24989422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LukaStarkiller/pseuds/LukaStarkiller
Summary: What if Amanda Rogers hadn't gone with Q at the end of "True Q?" What if she had stayed with her family and attended Starfleet Academy as she'd planned? How would she have handled the Academy's most infamous test?
Kudos: 6
Collections: Where No Woman, Women of Star Trek





	Final Exam

**Author's Note:**

> I finally broke down and actually wrote a fanfic. Set in an AU where Amanda stayed with the Federation, the plot primarily builds on the episodes "True Q" and "The First Duty." I may write more and expand this universe if it's well received.

Amanda Rogers wiped the sweat from her palms as she sat in the captain’s chair. Taking command of a starship was intimidating, even if it was just a simulation. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. Her instructors were almost certainly observing her after all.

“We are approaching the nebula, captain” the hologram acting as her helmsman said, looking up from his station.

“Acknowledged” Amanda replied, “Slow to impulse. Helm, lay in a course that will allow us to take readings without crossing into the Demilitarized zone.”

“Captain,” her Operations officer said, “I’m picking up a distress signal. Coordinates two one three mark five seven.”

Amanda smiled. She’d expected something like this. Of course a training exercise would never be as straightforward as “go there, survey that nebula, and come back.” They always had some surprise waiting.

“It’s a Federation vessel.” Operations continued, “Civilian. They’re dead in space. Multiple hull breaches. Reporting heavy casualties. ECS _Kobayashi Maru._ ”

_Oh._

_Oh god._

Amanda’s heart leapt into her throat. The Kobayashi Maru test was infamous at the academy. Of course, cadets weren’t allowed to know exactly what the test was. Anybody that had been through it was sworn to a strict code of silence. All anyone knew was that it was the test that made or broke the careers of aspiring officers. She gritted her teeth. Suddenly, this routine training simulation had become her final exam.

She took a deep breath, and then nodded. “Ops, hail the _Kobayashi Maru_ , tell them we’re on our way. Helm, set a course to intercept.”

“Captain,” her tactical officer spoke up, “This will take us into the Demilitarized Zone, which could be seen as a violation of our treaty with the Cardassians.”

“Understood,” Amanda replied. It was a risk, but there was no way she was meant to leave civilians to die here. She fought down a nervous giggle as she put on her best Jean-Luc Picard impression. “Engage!”

*****

Doctor Beverly Crusher straightened her uniform as she stepped into the observation room. It was a smaller room, dominated by a viewscreen which was currently showing what appeared to be the bridge of a _Miranda_ class starship. She smiled briefly at the sight of Amanda Rogers, sitting in the captain’s chair, trying, and failing, not to look terrified. Then she approached the other occupant of the room, an older woman, wearing the stripes of a Rear Admiral.

“Admiral Brand,” she said, extending her hand, “Sorry I’m late.”

Brand shook Crusher’s hand and nodded. “Not a problem, commander. The test is just getting started.”

Crusher turned her attention to the viewscreen. “I must confess, admiral, I was surprised when you requested I come all the way back to Earth. I’m not exactly an Academy instructor.”

“You are, however, the chief medical officer onboard the USS _Enterprise_ , which has had more experience with the Q than the rest of Starfleet put together. And you have a personal relationship with the cadet. This makes you… uniquely qualified to help evaluate her.”

“I see. So this is about… what she is.”

“Exactly.”

Crusher straightened. “Admiral, in my report, I stated that Cadet Rogers was exactly what she seemed to be; a girl who saw herself as human and wanted a human life. She has given up a great deal to remain with her family and attend the Academy, and she has repeatedly requested that she not be treated any differently from any other cadet. Has anything happened since then that has made you question this assessment?”

Brand smiled wryly. “No doctor. Cadet Rogers has been an… exemplary student. However, some members of the faculty have raised… concerns.”

“Such as…” Crusher said, carefully keeping her tone respectful.

“Such as if Cadet Rogers was using her abilities to get an advantage, would we have any way of knowing? Is it even possible to evaluate a being who can call on nigh-omnipotent powers at a whim.”

Crusher blinked, shocked. “Amanda would never! If nothing else, the Q continuum would punish her if she tried!”

“Doctor Crusher,” Brand said dryly, looking the younger woman in the eye. “Do you truly believe that fear of consequences is always an adequate deterrent for someone of her age?”

Crusher flinched and looked down, not trusting herself to respond. The Nova Squadron incident was still fresh in her mind.

“This is why,” Brand continued, “this particular test is of utmost importance. What cadets don’t know… can’t know… is that the _Kobayashi Maru_ is not a test of skill or of knowledge. It’s a test of character. It is designed to present cadets with a no-win scenario, to make them face failure, push them to the breaking point, and gauge how they react. What then will happen with someone like Cadet Rogers, for whom there can be no no-win scenarios? Who can make her problems disappear with a wave of her hand? Some feel she might get ‘lucky,’ and ‘surprisingly’ pull out a win where no one thought it possible.”

“So if she wins, she loses? That seems a bit harsh!”

“Doctor,” Brand said, “We at the academy push our cadets as hard as we do because once they graduate, they will be out there, with others’ lives in their hands. A Starfleet officer experiencing a psychotic break at the wrong time can threaten the lives of a starship or even a planet. How much worse would it be, how much more would be in jeopardy, if it turns out that Cadet Rogers is unequipped for the stresses of the job?”

Crusher sighed, and then nodded, turning her attention to the screen. “I still think you’re getting worked up about nothing. I trust Amanda.”

*****

“ _Kobayashi Maru_ , this is the USS _Majestic_. We have received your distress call and are preparing to render aid. Do you…”

“Captain!” Amanda’s Operations officer cut her off, “Something is jamming our communication.”

 _Ok_ , Amanda thought, _here it comes_.

“Three vessels are emerging from the nebula.” Tactical said, “They’re Cardassian. _Galor_ class.”

Her hands gripped the arms of her chair, knuckles turning white. “An ambush! Red alert! Ops, hail them, tell them we’re on a rescue mission.”

“Our communications are being jammed, Captain.”

 _Right, you just said that! Stupid. Stupid_.

“They are charging weapons.”

“Um…” Amanda fought down panic. Don’t think, just act. “Shields to full, weapons on standby. Can we beam the survivors onboard?”

“The Cardassians are firing.”

 _No!_ Amanda watched with horror as the Cardassian ships opened fire, not on her, but on the _Kobayashi Maru_ , causing the transport ship to erupt in a ball of flame. For a second, she froze.

“Captain?”

“Hard about!” Amanda said at last, “Get us out of here, full impulse!”

“Captain,” Tactical shouted, alarm in his voice, “They’re firing again.”

The bridge shook and the lights flickered as the ship was hit. “Shields at 67%”

Amanda looked about frantically. She couldn’t outrun them. She definitely couldn’t outfight them. “Try to get us into that nebula.” She called to her helmsman. “It’s a long shot, but it’s the only chance we have.” _That I can think of anyway. What am I missing?_

The ship shook harder as it took another barrage. “Shields are down!” Tactical called, sounding frantic, “They’re continuing to fire.”

“Tell them we surrender!” Amanda yelled desperately as another hit rocked the vessel. Instrument panels exploded and crew members screamed. Smoke began to fill the bridge.

“Communications are still being jammed.” Ops said, blood running from a gash in his forehead. “They’re firing again! I don’t think we can take another hit!”

_No_

_NO!_

Time seemed to stand still. It took Amanda a second to realize that this was because time actually _was_ frozen. She cursed silently. She must have done that accidentally, and here she thought she was getting so much better at control. She reached out to tweak the timestream back to line up with local relativity… and hesitated.

How had it all gone so wrong? How was this test even _fair_? Had she missed something? She was pretty sure she’d failed. It was hard to think how losing the ship she was trying to rescue, her own ship, and possibly starting a war with Cardassia could possibly be a passing grade. And she had though her time at the Academy was going so well!

Amanda looked at time. She was still getting used to the fact that looking at time was something she could do, not to mention how fragile and mutable time seemed when you looked at it the right way. What if… what if instead of restarting time, she simply jumped back a few days. She could do some research, come into this test prepared. She could look up everything there was to know about the Demilitarized Zone, this particular nebula, the weaknesses of Galor class warships… find whatever it was she’d missed.

Or… she expanded her consciousness further, looking at other timelines, other possibilities. It would be so easy to just reach out to one of them. To make that reality _this_ reality. A timeline where she was given the test on a different day… one where she pulled out some brilliant strategy and saved everyone… one where whoever designed this _stupid_ test made it less unfair! The Continuum wouldn’t care. They were worried about _big_ changes, things that would change the course of humanity. They probably wouldn’t even notice.

She stopped. It wouldn’t be right. She had promised that she would live as a human, and sacrificed a lot to keep that promise. This was what she wanted, a normal life with her family, a normal career, and maybe… hopefully… a normal family of her own someday. If she cheated now, then everything she accomplished from here on out would be meaningless. She’d never be human, just a Q playing dress-up.

But she’d failed the test! For so long, her dream had been to attend the Academy, to be part of Starfleet, and now she felt that slipping away. The _Kobayashi Maru_ was make-or-break, everybody knew that, and she’d screwed it up big time! Could she really give all that up?  
Could it be true that she just wasn’t cut out for Starfleet?

With a heavy sigh, Amanda Rogers reached out and restarted time. The world roared back to life, with explosions and screams as her holographic ship was torn apart, but all she could feel was numb.

*****

Beverly Crusher watched as the simulation ended, leaving Amanda sitting alone in the test chamber, trying to fight back tears. As hard as it was to watch, Crusher couldn’t help but give a small, proud smile.

“Well, Doctor Crusher,” Brand said, “It would seem you were correct. I must say I’m happy my doubts proved unfounded.”

“Of course, Admiral,” She replied, “You will receive a detailed report from me tomorrow. Now, has the test concluded? Can I enter the chamber, because… um… because I’d really like to give Cadet Rogers a hug right now.”

Brand smiled. “You may do so. If you don’t mind my asking, you never seemed to doubt her for a minute. What made you so sure she would pass?”

“Something my son told me not too long ago. They’re friends you know…”

*****

\--Three Years Earlier—

Amanda Rogers glanced around the Academy mess hall nervously. Finally, her eyes settled on a dark haired young man eating alone at one of the tables. Smiling, she walked up and set her tray down across from him.

“Hi,” she said, “You must be Wesley Crusher. I’m Amanda.”

The boy looked up from his meal. “Amanda Rogers right? My mom told me about you.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you.” She said, taking a seat.

“Look, Amanda…” Wesley held up a hand, “I appreciate you coming over to say hi, but maybe you don’t want to be seen spending too much time around me. I’m… not too popular around here right now.”

She looked around and shrugged “It’s not exactly like I have people lining up to be my friend either.”

“It’s different, They’re afraid of you. They _hate_ me.”

“They’re afraid of me?”

“You’re probably the first higher-dimensional being any of them have seen.” Wesley explained, “Most of them have probably only heard about the Q in textbooks. They’ll get over it.”

“You don’t seem afraid of me.”

He laughed, “I kinda got used to it after the Traveller.”

“The Traveller?”

“Long story.”

“Okay, but why do they hate you?” as soon as the words came out of her mouth, Amanda cringed. “I mean… if you don’t mind telling me,” She quickly added.

Wesley sighed. “I guess it’s better if you hear it from me instead of the rumor mill. I… made a mistake. A big mistake that got a friend of mine killed. There was a hearing, and I… well, I confessed to what happened. We probably would have gotten away with it if I hadn’t but…” He shrugged, “So now my former friends feel like I sold them out, and to everyone else, I’m that guy who got a kid killed.”

Amanda nodded. “So why did you tell them then?”

“Because…” he paused, “because if I hadn’t, then no matter what I accomplished, what I did after that, it would have been built on a lie. A… father figure of mine told me that my first duty as a Starfleet officer was to the truth… and I guess I took that to heart.”

For a moment there was silence between them, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Amanda spoke.

“You’re talking about Captain Picard aren’t you?”

“How could you tell?”

“It sounds like the kind of thing he’d say.” Amanda grinned. “The man does have a way with words.”

The tension broken, the two cadets laughed, and for both of them, the Academy suddenly seemed a lot less lonely.

*****

“You mean the test was _supposed_ to be unfair?”

Amanda and Beverly Crusher sat together on a bench beneath an elm tree near the Academy parade grounds. A group of cadets doing drills ran past, and Amanda was glad for the excuse not to join them. She felt exhausted.

“Starfleet needs to see how potential officers deal with failure. Not every situation you’ll run into will be fair. There won’t always be a solution.”

“Like Tagra IV” Amanda said quietly.

“Yes Amanda.”

Amanda could still remember the screams. The reactor going critical. Commander Riker in sick bay covered in burns. She shuddered.

“Certain elements of the faculty were afraid you’d… use your powers faced with a situation like that.” Crusher continued. “I’m sorry, I thought they’d be better than that.”

Amanda’s stomach dropped as she realized what she’d almost done. “I… I thought about it.” She whispered, “for a time.”

“How long a time?” Crusher asked

“Well… time is complicated… it’s not like…”

“Amanda…”

Amanda winced “Um… I guess. Somewhere between 0.68 seconds… and an eternity.”  
Crusher laughed, and after a second Amanda joined her.

“You know…” Amanda said after a pause, “I think I can actually do this. Humanity, Starfleet, all of it. I think I’m going to be ok.”

“I never doubted that, Amanda”

They shared a smile, then Amanda grinned. “You need to tell me if anything interesting happened on the _Enterprise_ since I left. Wesley never seems to know.”

“Well… we did discover that Riker was copied in a transporter accident a few years back…”

“There are two Rikers now?” Amanda grinned.

“Don’t even think about it!”

They shared a laugh, and Amanda felt the tension of the day beginning to melt away.


End file.
